Call the sitter and prepare for some handshaking: it’s back-to-school night! This is when the principal gives her speech about what an awesome community you’re all in before shuffling you off to your kids’ classrooms to sit in tiny chairs during a presentation on math techniques you will never, ever understand.
Hope you grabbed some coffee before heading out, because there is a lot of info to take in and a lot of people who don’t know how to read social cues that scream "please stop making this night last forever!" There are also all sorts of different moms to meet while you’re there. Here’s a sampling of the usual crew, and how to recognize them in their natural habitat.
Image: Karen Cox/SheKnows
From the moms you mesh with right away to the ones who you just don’t understand, these are the ladies you’ll be with for the rest of your kids’ school days.
So maybe before you bid them all adieu for the night, share a cookie (everyone loves cookies!) and some kind words about their kid. Getting on their good sides can only help you all build the village that can guarantee a great school year.
The entertainment industry was rocked once when news broke that a Ponzi scheme in the hands of Lou Pearlman had stolen $300 million from his musicians and investors. This Friday, many of those who suffered of his accord didn't know how to react in the face of his death.
As NBC News reports, Pearlman died Friday in the midst of his 25-year prison term. He had been imprisoned since 2008. Oh No They Didn't reports that Pearlman had a stroke in prison at one point, and later had been transferred to a hospital for cardiac issues. He died of natural, heart-related causes.
Many members of the boy bands that he formed — and then stole from — reacted to Pearlman's death on Twitter.
"I hope he found some peace. God bless and RIP, Lou Pearlman," wrote Justin Timberlake. Fellow 'NSYNC members Lance Bass and Chris Kirkpatrick acknowledged the elephant in the room: "Word is that #LouPearlman has passed away. He might not have been a stand up businessman , but I wouldn't be doing what I love today wout his influence. RIP Lou." Kirkpatrick was more succinct, writing, "Mixed emotions right now, but RIP Lou Pearlman." O-Town's Erik-Michael Estrada agreed, simply writing "mixed emotions" before diving into his feelings about the news.
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justin timberlake tweet
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lance bass
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Backstreet Boys members also came out to share mixed reactions at the news. AJ McLean says he felt "many emotions," the strongest of which was gratitude.
O-Town's Jacob Underwood hit the nail on the head: "He was always nice to me, even when he was stealing from me." Ashley Parker Angel acknowledged that he "let greed get in his way."
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Pearlman's former proteges seem to share one thing in common — gratitude for the opportunities that he gave them.
The royal family is planning a tour of Canada, and this visit will be extra special because it won't just be Prince William and Kate Middleton that fans will get to see, but also Prince George and his adorable sister, Princess Charlotte.
Prince George's first overseas tour was a 10-day trip to Australia and New Zealand in 2014 when he was 9 months old. The upcoming tour of Canada will mark 15-month-old Charlotte's overseas debut — and what better place for her to visit? What can we expect from the royal family's visit to our own backyard? Here's what we know so far.
1. They will be in Canada for a week
Kensington Palace officially released an agenda on Monday, Aug. 22 detailing the family's trip, which will start on Sept. 24 in Victoria, British Columbia, and end there on Oct. 1.
Kensington Palace Twitter
Kensington Palace Twitter
2. It's the second time the Duke and Duchess are visiting the country
William and Kate visited Canada just weeks after their wedding in 2011, and this will mark their second tour of the country. During the newlyweds' nine-day tour, they visited Ottawa (to take part in a wreath laying and book signing at the National War Memorial), Montreal, Quebec, the Northwest Territories, Calgary, and even Prince Edward Island — the setting of L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables novels.
3. The itinerary has been coordinated to be child-friendly
This time around it will definitely be a family-friendly affair, with a "heavy focus on nature, the outdoors [...] hiking, walking and outdoor pursuits." There's also talk of visits to fresh-water lakes, where they may enjoy a spot of kayaking.
4. There will be a wide range of different activities
After touching down in Victoria on Sept. 24 the family will head to Vancouver for a tour of the city with a focus on young people, mental health and the local first-responder community. Then on Sept. 26 they will make their way to Bella Bella and Great Bear Rainforest (home to a multitude of animals including grizzly bears) and on Sept. 27 they will visit Kelowna, British Columbia, and learn about the local First Nations community during a visit to Whitehorse, Yukon.
The family will continue their tour of Whitehorse on Sept. 28 before visiting Carcross. The following day they will be back in Victoria, where the focus will once again shift to raising awareness for mental health. On Sept. 30, the family will travel to the remote archipelago of Haida Gwaii, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, to learn more about the indigenous people and the local community before heading back to Victoria on Oct. 1 and flying back to London, England. Phew, sounds pretty tiring, right?
4. Justin Trudeau is excited about the tour
According to Vanity Fair, a source close to the prime minister revealed that he's excited for the royal family to experience British Columbia and the territory of Yukon as part of the tour because he "loves this part of Canada and he's keen for the Cambridges to see it. He spent some of his early life in British Columbia and he and his own family holiday in Tofino."
5. But the prime minister is not the only one counting down the days
A Kensington Palace source revealed the royal couple is "hugely excited" and that the trip would be a fantastic opportunity for them to explore British Columbia and the Yukon Territory in more detail.
The highly anticipated third season of Survivor Australia premiered on Sunday — and everyone already has an opinion about it. Unfortunately, it's not often positive.
The series, which was filmed in Samoa from May to July 2016, hasn't been without controversy, as there was a call for more diversity after only one out of 24 contestants was someone of colour (Barry, from Cairns, who described himself as a "successful Aboriginal/South Sea Islander"). But that's not all. The contestants are, generally, pretty hard to like.
Survivor Australia cast
Survivor Australia cast
Aged between 23 (sales executive Brooke) and 62 (air-traffic controller Peter), the contestants do appear to come from all walks of life. They include a marketing executive, a law student, an army corporal/charity worker, and recently eliminated Victorian private investigator Bianca.
Survivor Australia Bianca
Survivor Australia Bianca
Plus the first Survivor to bid farewell to the show, courier driver Des.
Survivor Australia Des
Survivor Australia Des
The internet has spoken, and it looks like a lot of viewers at home are having a tough time finding someone worth rooting for to win that $500,000 cash prize. Yikes!
But that doesn't mean that it doesn't make for good TV. I mean, who doesn't love to hate people?
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Survivor Australia tweets 6
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Survivor Australia tweets 3
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Survivor Australia tweets 2
Being on the show is no easy feat either. Host Jonathan LaPaglia revealed it was the toughest job he's ever had, and that he was completely exhausted after filming wrapped up.
"The first day I landed back in Los Angeles I slept for 14 hours straight," he said during an interview with The Herald Sun — and people, he's the host, so can you imagine how the contestants feel? Especially after the show made the decision to change up the rules from the U.S. version (one of the longest running and most successful reality TV shows ever).
Now contestants are set to compete over a total of 55 days (the original version was 39 days) with the number of contestants ranging between 16 and 20 people. And if the internet is right about these contestants, well then these extra few days will give us time to warm up to them. Maybe.
You can catch Survivor Australia on TEN on Monday and Sunday at 7.30 p.m. We, for one, won't be missing it.
What are your impressions of Season 3's Survivor Australia contestants? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Colorado parents who choose not to vaccinate their kids are protesting against the state's new non-medical immunization exemption form — and for good reason. Basically, anti-vaxxers have to submit the form to their child's school and it pretty much amounts to admitting they have endangered their kid.
While parents who use the medical exemption only have to submit the form once, parents who use the non-medical exemption have to submit it every year when their kids go back to school.
Part of the form reads: "Failure to follow the advice of a physician, registered nurse, physician’s assistant or public health official who has recommended vaccines may endanger my child’s/my health or life and others who come into contact with my child/me."
According to state Senator and chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Kevin Lundberg, the wording "amounts to compelled speech," and he argues against the state trying to force parents to admit something they simply don't believe is true.
Internet activism platform CitizenGO has launched an online petition urging Colorado's governor, John Hickenlooper, and legislative leaders to "immediately modify these forms and regulations to protect the privacy and freedom of Colorado families."
Wherever you stand on the vaccination debate, it's difficult to support a process that puts a pro-vaccine agenda before free speech and parental rights. As it stands, the decision to immunize a child lies with their parents in accordance with the laws of their state. While some parents choose not to immunize because of medical concerns, such as their children's existing health issues or disabilities, others seek a non-medical exemption, for example by stating that immunizations are in conflict with their religious beliefs or practices.
It's not uncommon for parents to choose to immunize their children against some diseases, but not others. They may do extensive research, weigh up the pros and cons and make a fully-informed decision taking their child's health and needs into account. Should these parents really have to sign a form affirming that they are endangering the life and health of that child? That's the last thing these parents believe.
Such a statement could also amount to an admission that could be used against the parent in future civil or criminal proceedings. Refusing to vaccinate your children is something a lot of people simply can't get their heads around. But it's not a criminal offense. And it's definitely not proof of a belief that non-vaccination is a risk.
According to the CDC, 95 percent of kindergarten children in the U.S. have been vaccinated against preventable diseases, including measles, mumps and rubella. That figure isn't' spread evenly across the country, and Colorado has the lowest level of vaccination (82 percent of Colorado kids have had the two-dose MMR vaccine that doctors say is necessary. By comparison, 99.7 percent of kindergarten kids in Mississippi are vaccinated).
It was a day just like any other. I was sitting on my bed sifting through entertainment news, pondering what to report next, when bam! There it was. Another cryptic "ALOHA DROGO" Instagram picture shared by the dead-on-TV but very-alive-IRL Jason Momoa.
In the pic, Momoa is seen with a beer-stache enjoying a night out on the town with the Game of Thrones showrunners in Northern Ireland (cough, cough, a major filming location for the show). Sure, he could just be catching up with some old friends, but they all look like they're letting some major secret out. Could that secret be about a horse-riding king returning to Game of Thrones? Me thinketh so.
On top of the convenient rendezvous, Momoa's caption included (as I already mentioned) "ALOHA DROGO." This isn't the first time Momoa has used the term. Obviously "aloha" can mean hello or goodbye, but we were subjected to saying goodbye to Drogo so long ago, why would Momoa keeping making us do it? "Hello Drogo" is just far more satisfying than the other option.
While the smallest hint of a Drogo return turns me on (just being honest here), I'm getting pretty darn sick of this dude playing with my heart. First, is it even really possible for Drogo to come back? It would undoubtedly change everything we've predicted for Daenerys' Season 7 story arc, but Jon Snow rose from the dead? Who says Drogo can't? Especially if Daenerys is runnin' shit and calls for all the Red Women to bring her main squeeze back.
Momoa would never be allowed to reveal such an important spoiler like this, but then for the love of Dothraki, can someone confirm it or tell him to cut it out? Fans are freaking out on his Instagram and my night has been consumed by looking up GIFs that encapsulate Daenerys and Drogo's love (don't worry, a slideshow is coming soon). I will just continue to stare at them all night and dream of a Drogo return. GoT showrunners, we're counting on you!
Backpacks have been purchased, uniforms will be delivered any day now and I'm already bursting into tears whenever think about how it's going to feel to drop my 3-year-olds off at preschool for the first time this fall. They know their ABCs and how to ask for help tying their shoes, and we seem to have finally broken them of their habit of repeating me when I slip and utter "Shit." We're officially ready for school, except there's just one problem.
I'm sending my kids to a Catholic preschool, and they have no idea who God is.
My husband and I both attended Catholic elementary school, but we never intended to do the same for our kids. While we were both raised Catholic, our faith has lapsed as we aged. At this point, we consider ourselves to be agnostic, although Pope Francis is pretty awesome, and I like a lot of what he has to say about LGBT and women's reproductive rights.
My family hasn't been to church since our twins were baptized three years ago (my grandma can be very persuasive when she wants to be about upholding family traditions), and although we have fond memories of our time in Catholic school, part of the reason we settled in the town where we are is because they have a great public school system and we intended for our boys to take full advantage of it.
But this past spring, when it was time to choose a preschool for our kids, we found out the hard way that picking an education path isn't always as simple as moving to a town where the elementary school has a great playground. The public school program in our town is half-day only and based on a lottery system, meaning there was no guarantee both our sons would get a spot or — if they did — that they would be in school at the same time. That's highly problematic considering I work from home.
The on-site preschool at my husband's job was well out of our budget. And while there were a few local private options, their programs weren't as structured as we were looking for. I considered keeping the boys home with me and doing preschool here, but honestly, I'm not trained in education, and my kids are soaking up facts and concepts faster than I can teach them. I just can't keep up. Plus, we felt it was important that they get some social interaction with other kids and adults before kindergarten.
So when we saw the local Catholic school down the road was having an open house we decided to stop by and at least see what it had to offer.
I was surprised by how much I loved it. The combination gym-cafe-auditorium, the statues of Mary and Jesus, the unflattering uniforms — it was all so familiar to me, and felt comforting, like some place I'd be happy to leave my children. My boys adored the preschool teacher. The program offers art classes, foreign language classes and technology lessons. It's three full days a week at a price that was well within our budget, plus I can be there in under five minutes in the event of an emergency; something that is very important to me after the Sandy Hook shootings. We were sold.
But now that it's almost time to send the kids off for their first day, I'm realizing how unprepared they are for the religious part of their education. They can name every character on the Disney Junior channel, but when we stopped to drop off some forms the other day they pointed to a framed painting of Jesus and thought it was my bearded cousin Zak. (Luckily the nun/principal wasn't in her office to witness their blasphemy.) I've been focused on teaching them the life skills they'll need for school — how to share their toys, count to 10 and use the potty — but I realize now that I've failed to prepare them for the religious part of their curriculum. And I don't know how to broach the subject.
I've been told that at this age the religious teachings focus on the Bible stories, Ten Commandments and Christmas and Easter celebrations. I like the lessons contained in the stories of the Bible, and I feel that they could be helpful in giving my kids a good moral base, but I view them the same way I view Aesop's fables or other cautionary tales for children... fictional. I could leave the religion talks in the capable hands of their teachers, but I don't know that I want their first exposure to such important concepts to come from people other than their own parents. At the same time, with my own faith being on such shaky grounds, I'm not sure how to explain the concept of God to them without feeling like I'm lying to them.
I didn't want the first time my kids went to church to be with school for First Friday Mass, so this past Sunday we traded in our usual t-shirts and shorts for some fancier duds and plopped down in a pew near the door in case we had to make a quick getaway. As soon as the organ music started playing, one of my sons commented loudly that it sounded like the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World. I turned scarlet as several people around us chuckled. It was obvious we weren't regular attendees. When the priest began mass, all of the responses to the prayers I remembered since childhood had changed, leaving me feeling even more out of place. A few minutes later my other child announced that he had to use the bathroom, and we slipped out and didn't return. Church fail.
I think sending them to this particular Catholic preschool will be good for my kids. The educational program is fantastic, and perhaps hearing the stories from the Bible will have a positive effect and help them to become good, kind people.
But if they come home and ask me about God? I know parents are supposed to have the answers, but I have to be honest: I don't know what I'll say.
Taking care of the luscious locks that God gave ya is almost sure to eat into your beauty bank account — when you factor in the cost of a good shampoo, conditioner, dry shampoo, gel, mousse, hairspray and more. And if you happen to have a more “high-maintenance” hair type, like springy curls or course hair that may require some extra TLC, those beauty product costs are going to add up.
While we’re not so quick to mess with a good thing, i.e., your basic hair care routine, we are big believers in the workaround. Using a few helpful tips to care for and strengthen your hair will make your products last much longer. And when you’re not gooping on the products anymore, your true, healthy hair texture is bound to shine through.
The average woman spends an hour and 53 minutes washing, drying and styling her hair each week, so it’s about time we got to the bottom of this hair care conundrum. What are we doing wrong, and how can we get our hair healthy without blowing all our cash? We’ve asked our favorite beauty experts to weigh in.
1. Swap out your shampoo for the day
You’ve probably seen this on Pinterest before, and it’s something that natural living and hair care experts swear by. To remedy that gunky buildup left by your daily shampoo and conditioner, use a baking soda and water paste as your shampoo and apple cider vinegar as your conditioner a few times a week, Lindsay Robin Christianson, conscious living coach, says. After one morning rinse, you’ll notice a big difference in both clarity and shine.
Stephanie Brown, a New York City colorist at Nunzio Saviano Salon, also recommends spraying down hair after a shower with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water in a spray bottle. This quickie spray treatment can be used on the days you don’t shampoo with baking soda and ACV to moisturize, strip buildup and leave hair extra-shiny.
2. Massage in baking soda
If you don’t feel comfortable skipping your ‘poo and conditioner completely, you can still incorporate baking soda into your morning routine. To remove chlorine from the hair and prevent further damage, Gina Layland, spa manager at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California, recommends sprinkling baking soda as a natural neutralizer into the hair and massaging well before washing as normal.
3. Use baking soda as dry shampoo
When it comes to promoting healthy hair, what can’t baking soda do? Brown suggests skipping the expensive dry shampoos altogether and swapping out baking soda or baby powder instead. “This will absorb extra oils and add volume and is great because you aren't shampooing as often,” she says.
4. Skip the daily blow-dry
And while you’re at it, try to mix up how you style your hair whenever possible, Vincent Sideli, hairstylist at the high-end Yves Durif Salon located in the Carlyle Hotel in New York City, says. “High heat damages your hair easily. By blow-drying less often, your hair will be healthier. Let your hair air dry from time to time. This is an easy no-cost solution.”
5. Stay away from hairspray, gel and mousse
“Well, not exactly stay away — but you are probably overusing these products,” Sideli says. Instead of automatically piling on the product in the morning, Sideli suggests using half the usual amount of what you would put in your hair. “This will prevent product buildup, and at the same time, you'll be making those products last twice as long, cutting down on costs,” he explains.
No matter what you’ve seen on the shampoo commercials, rubbing wet hair vigorously after stepping out of the shower does not healthy hair make. “After washing your hair, let your towel do the absorbing, instead of rubbing. This will help prevent damage and split ends,” Sideli says.
Exercise may be great for your body, but it certainly isn’t doing your hair any favors — especially if your locks are long, curly, thick or all of the above. To prevent wear and tear on your hair at the gym, Christianson suggests, “When you're working out, put a second band down at the bottom of the ponytail to keep your hair from getting tangled.”
8. Try a coconut oil treatment
Here’s one at-home remedy that Layland swears by to revive tired hair that has seen better days — use a coconut oil hair mask, applying the very same coconut oil you keep for cooking in your kitchen. Leave the mask on for a minimum of an hour, or overnight with a cap, to moisturize the hair and scalp.
Though Erica Aker, 20-year beauty industry veteran and trichologist who focuses on hair loss and scalp disorders, is a proponent of coconut oil’s health and beauty benefits, she cautions, “Be careful not to overuse coconut oil. Too much oil can cause an extreme buildup on the hair. Alternating this treatment with other moisturizing treatments will yield the best results.”
9. Try a mayonnaise treatment
Mayonnaise may not be the most nutritionally sound food choice, but you still have full permission to use it on your hair. Like coconut oil, mayonnaise is another great moisturizer for dry and brittle hair, Aker explains. “The oil in mayo leaves hair feeling soft and more manageable,” she says. “One tablespoon goes a long way. Let sit on hair 30 to 45 minutes with a plastic cap.”
10. Try an egg treatment
As a source of protein in the diet, eggs can help to strengthen the hair, and when used as a beauty treatment, your favorite breakfast food may help to prevent breakage after the fact. But Aker says, “Beware, too much protein can have adverse effects and cause breakage when used too often. This treatment works best by using it sparingly and in conjunction with moisturizing conditioners.” As a treatment, Aker recommends, “Crack an egg, beat it until yolk and whites are mixed. Put egg on hair with a plastic cap for 15 to 20 minutes.”
No matter how sparse your cupboards may be, at the very least, sugar is likely to be the one natural beauty ingredient you have lying around the house. Aker says sugar works amazingly well as a scalp exfoliation treatment. “Just like your skin needs to be exfoliated, so does your scalp. The sugar crystals deeply cleanse the scalp, promoting a healthy environment for hair growth,” she says. Aker recommends mixing 2 tablespoons of sugar with a gentle shampoo, parting the hair in 1/4-inch sections and gently scrubbing with the mixture and a new toothbrush until you’ve covered the entire scalp.
Originally published Jan. 2014. Updated Aug. 2016.
Going camping? Bet you've got visions of s'mores dancing through your head already. But there's more to camp cooking than roasting marshmallows. We have 12 tips for the novice campfire chef — everything from safety to what to back. And just so you know, you can eat way more than just hot dogs for dinner on your trip.
Fire safety
Before you start your fire make sure the area is safe. You should have at least 10 feet of bare dirt around your fire ring. Clear away anything that could possibly catch fire. Avoid building your fire under windy conditions (check the weather report before you leave). The smallest amount of wind can turn your small campfire into a raging fire. Lastly, make sure that you have tools, like a sturdy shovel, just in case anything does happen. Dumping soil on top of flames can help smother an out-of-control blaze. Keep a few gallons of water close to your fire as well.
How to start a fire with wood
To build a wood fire, start by gathering an assortment of different sizes of bark, twigs and pine needles. To start, lay one stick in the center of your pit and loosely pile pieces of kindling around it. Light the kindling with a match, and once it's ignited, add more small pieces in a teepee-shaped formation until those catch fire. Then start adding bigger pieces of wood around them. Make sure you leave a little space between each piece of wood so the fire can breathe. Putting on too many pieces of wood will make the fire burn out.
How to put out your fire
Start by sprinkling water little by little on your fire, rather than pouring a large amount directly into the fire all at once. Stir wet embers with a stick to make sure all of the coals get wet. When you hear no more hissing and sizzling you should be good. The next morning place your hand just above the coals. If you still feel heat that means the fire is not fully out. Pour more warm water over the coals, moving them around.
Pack at least one all-purpose cast-iron pan or Dutch oven (having a lid is handy) and, if you have it in your house, bring a grill or resting rack. You can set this on the coals and put your pot or pan on top of it so it won’t tumble over.
Shelf-stable food
Remember that you’ll be outdoors and a cooler filled with ice is only going to last so long. Bring shelf-stable food that won’t have to go in a mini cooler, like canned beans, vegetables and jerky.
The cooking basics
Don’t forget to bring along salt and pepper. Also, grab a few lemons and veggies like onions and green peppers that work well with a few different dishes. You can even prep these things beforehand and bring an airtight container with your prepared food — this will make your life a tad easier.
Fishing is key
You're outdoors! Take advantage of that and see if you can catch some of your dinner. Don't depend on your catch for dinner, though. Still pack enough food to feed your party even when the fish aren't biting.
Pack only what you need
This isn’t a five-star resort. Pack just what you need: one bowl and one cup for each person if you have access to washing water. Otherwise, pack disposables. Make sure not to bring anything with glass because that can go wrong very quickly and some campsites don't allow it.
Label everything
Clearly label all the food you bring, and use clear containers if possible. You should not have to go through five containers just to find where the oil is.
Everyone always thinks when they go on a camping trip they’ll never see a bear, but the truth of the matter is that it can happen. Make sure if you are in an area where bears or other dangerous wildlife that might raid a campsite have been spotted that you have all of your food packed and stored and hung from a tree (away from where you are sleeping). If bears aren’t a concern, but raccoons are, then make sure you have containers with lid locks and leave no food in plastic bags because they will tear right through it.
Drinks
Small juice packs with straws can be convenient. For coffee and tea, instant will save you a lot of trouble if you can take the taste. If you want something a little more adult, bring along some boxed wine (but remember, no glass on a camping trip).
Foil packet cooking
Foil packet cooking is probably one of the easiest ways to cook on a camping trip and requires very little cleanup. Line your foil with parchment paper and fill with fish, veggies or hot dogs. Roll it up and cook it right on the coals. It’s that simple.
At least one marriage can be contributed to one of those numbers scratched on a bathroom stall in a bar, according to The Sun. It all started when trucker Mark Ellis spotted "if you want a good shag call Donna" along with her phone number.
He called instead of texted. “Hi. What are you up to?”
"Who is this" Donna wrote back. The number was written on the wall by a jilted ex. But, she kept talking to Ellis and they met in person a few days later.
“It was days before he told me how he got my number," she told the newspaper. "I was stunned. I had to get a new phone so no one else could ring."
They've since married and live with their two children, ages eight and nine. The, along with the rest of her family and friends, don't know how Ellis and Donna met. Well, until now. "I usually say that he texted me by mistake," she said.
And as for the douche ex that wrote her number on the wall?
Flipping tables is part and parcel of the Real Housewives franchise, but Flipping Out? That's something new — and something I want to see more of in the future.
Crossovers between Bravo shows are definitely a thing, but typically, they're limited to one Housewife showing up in a different city. For example, Bethenny Frankel made her mark a few months ago on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Tonight, however, the outsider was not a Housewife from a different city, but rather, a huge star from a completely different franchise: Flipping Out's Jeff Lewis!
Image: Bravo
Evidently, Lewis and Shannon Beador are best buds. He showed up at Beador's big birthday party turned vow renewal — and effortlessly stole the spotlight during an episode that was supposed to be all about Shannon and David's relationship. I can't say I'm disappointed, because I really needed a break from hearing Beador exclaim, "Are you kidding me?"
Lewis wasn't the only big name at the party. Jenni Pulos and Gage Edward also showed up. I was pleased to see all three in a completely different context.
Lewis, Pulos and Edward all brought a breath of fresh air to RHOC. What really made the Flipping Out cameo interesting, however, was the background knowledge of a feud between Heather Dubrow and Jeff Lewis. A few months back, Lewis referred to Dubrow as his least favorite Housewife, thereby launching all kinds of drama.
Image: Bravo
Many viewers believe that the Lewis versus Dubrow drama actually began at Beador's party, although the two seemed at least somewhat cordial during the event. Dubrow, however, has since claimed that Lewis engaged in quite a bit of body-shaming while chatting with her husband. It's hard to know who to believe, but I honestly would prefer for Bravo to delve into this particular melodrama than to show us more of the ongoing Vicki Gunvalson versus everybody (minus Kelly Dodd) schtick.
I would love to see more crossovers between Flipping Out and The Real Housewives of Orange County. Or really, any Real Housewives show. The franchise can always use a little wit and fresh drama, and who better to deliver it than Jeff Lewis and the gang?
Would you like to see more of Jeff Lewis and the rest of the Flipping Out cast on The Real Housewives of Orange County? Comment and share your opinion below.
Baltierra and Lowell have always been the crown jewels of Teen Mom. They're perhaps the only couple who seems to talk out their emotions, make decisions together and have come together out of pure love. (I'm a fan!) But in a new trailer for this season, Baltierra does something that has even a producer questioning his behavior.
In the teaser, Lowell mentions (in a tone that carries a whiff of sponsored content) that she's thinking of joining Weight Watchers. "It worked for you last time," says her husband. "That quesadilla's pretty big."
He goes on to "jokingly" insult Lowell, saying "It's your body, you do what you want. I mean, obviously I don't want no heifer for a wife." Lowell laughs, but producer Jessica jumps in calling his words harsh. That's an understatement. His words, especially when masked in the language of everyday conversation, are clearly the opposite of leaving his wife to make her own choices surrounding her body.
From commenting on how much and what she's eating to suggesting that she's getting overweight, the conversation is a textbook example of how not to let a significant other (or friend or anyone for that matter) treat you. What happened to the sweet, caring Tyler who cried at the diner with his Catelynn? Let's get him back ASAP.
Update: After facing public backlash, Baltierra took to Twitter — not to apologize — but to defend the way he talks to Lowell.
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Tyler Baltierra tweet 1
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Tyler Baltierra tweet 4
Tyler Baltierra tweet 4
Lowell also put her two cents up on Twitter to address the issue.
catelynn lowell tweet
catelynn lowell tweet
This article was originally published on Aug. 17 and was updated on Aug. 22.
Being that Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield are basically our favorite celeb romantic match-up ever, this was pretty much us when we heard that the two were spotted together over the weekend in London.
The happy dance was a short one, however, because almost as soon as the jig commenced, the rain began to fall on our parade. It may be true that Stone and Garfield were, indeed, out and about together across the pond, looking happy at Covent Garden, but alas, it was as just friends.
Our disappointment runs deep on this one, not only because Stone and Garfield looked so cute together over the course of their four-year relationship, but also because we fell in love with them due to their big hearts and their ability to turn the annoying presence of paparazzi into a positive thing.
Remember a couple years ago when the two had a penchant for transforming unwanted attention into PR for their favorite causes? After learning the restaurant they were dining at had been swarmed by photogs in June 2014, they crafted two small, handwritten signs to simultaneously cover their faces and give a shout out to Youth Mentoring Connection, Autism Speaks, Worldwide Orphans and Gilda's Club. And it wasn't the first time they had pulled the stunt — they did the same thing in 2012.
Stone and Garfield broke up in April of 2015, reportedly because of conflicting schedules. They were seen together getting lovey-dovey a couple months later, but a source confirmed their split in October of last year.
There are only two episodes left before the series finale of Rizzoli & Isles, and I don't think I'm the only one who's finding it increasingly difficult to pay attention to the content of the cases because I'm so distracted by speculations of how the writers plan to wrap up the characters' personal story lines. We already have some answers: Jane's going to teach at the FBI Academy and now Frankie and Nina are engaged. And as of Monday's new episode, there seem to be some pretty big hints that a huge change is in store for Maura as well.
Maura's been totally supportive of Jane's leaving the BPD, but in the latest episode, we finally started to see her veneer crack. At the clinic, Maura meets a family with a terminally ill baby, who prays for a miracle and gets it — by the end of the show, the little girl's health is on the upswing and her prognosis is good. Maura has trouble computing this; she's a woman of science, after all. Jane is of course there to help her process both the grave condition of the little girl and her recovery, and Maura confesses that she doesn't know what she's going to do without her.
In an ideal world, these two would end up in Virginia together and there would be a spin-off show in which we'd follow their adventures for another seven seasons. At this point, though, it looks like the remarkable recovery of this little girl has provoked a crisis within Maura, and she doesn't know how to deal with a world that isn't dictated by science and logic. Jane reminds her that things can't always make sense, but sometimes they happen for a reason. For example, if Maura hadn't gotten that brain injury (which has been virtually ignored this season), she wouldn't have be inspired to pursue other pastimes, like working at the clinic, and then she wouldn't have met this family and been a part of this little girl's story.
It does seem like Jane's departure and her discombobulation over this latest development in life is shaking Maura, but what could we expect to happen in the next two episodes? We've already been surprised by the news that Maura used to be married, so what else could possibly happen? There is, of course, the scenario where she moves to Virginia with Jane. For a second during this week's episode, while Maura was cooing at the baby, I thought we might be in for a "Maura has a kid" story line. I'm not sold on that, but who knows? She could leave science behind altogether and throw herself into finishing that novel. She could leave the BPD for work in the clinic full-time. At this point, it's anyone's guess, but whatever she does do promises to rattle the foundations of this show in its final episodes.
Drew Barrymore may be going through a heartbreaking divorce, but she's certainly not letting it slow her down. The girl has been spotted out and about everywhere having a ton of fun — and handling her breakup just like most of us civilians would.
She was seen shopping up a storm at the famous Pasadena flea market last week, drinking a tall boy of Coors OG and being fabulous. Barrymore certainly has enough money to buy the finest, but clearly she's not above a good bargain, either.
Drew Barrymore flea market
Drew Barrymore flea market
Have you ever had a couple cocktails and then excitedly made plans with a friend to go on a rigorous hike, only to wake up the next morning and think, "Why the hell did I agree to that?" Pretty sure that's what happened to Barrymore after she knocked back a couple at the swap meet, because in two shakes of a lamb's tail after she was shopping, she was posting a picture of herself clinging to a rock for dear life on Instagram with the caption, "Oh my god what did I get myself into? #hikes2016?"
Drew Barrymore hiking
Drew Barrymore hiking
Barrymore is just coming off a girls trip to Vegas as well. In early August she hit the strip, went go-karting, attended a meet-and-greet with David Copperfield, and even went to see Jennifer Lopez's residency show at Planet Hollywood. Vegas, baby.
It's great to see Barrymore having such an amazing time, especially after the circulation of rumors that her ex, Will Kopelman, filed for divorce because he wasn't into her free-spirited ways.
"She's so hippie-dippy and all over the place and it started to become unbearable for him," an insider told Us Weekly, adding that Barrymore "tried to be what Will wanted," but "she just isn't a normal housewife." To which we say, "See ya later, Kopelman, don't let the door hit ya in the ass."
Shopping, drinking, hiking, going to Vegas... Barrymore really is just like us.
Netflix has its life together, y'all. Not only will they be releasing the long-anticipated Gilmore Girls revival later this year (Nov. 25 can't come fast enough), but the streaming giant just announced they're teaming up with CBC for a TV adaptation of the classic novel Anne of Green Gables.
I'm not the only one jumping up and down about this, right?
Not only did I love the book growing up, but Anne of Green Gables was the first play I took my daughter to. We went last year at my hometown's historic Dock Street Theater. My daughter was 4 at the time, and it was magical.
So, pardon me if I can't buffer my excitement upon learning Anne will be making her way to Netflix for at least an eight-episode stint airing in 2017. If the obsession surrounding this news is puzzling to you, but you're counting down the days to Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, rest assured — you're gonna love Anne of Green Gables, and here's why.
Anne Shirley speaks about a million miles a minute and never seems to be at a loss for a clever word. While she sometimes puts her foot in her mouth, Anne's quick wit and outspoken nature make her a bit of a feminist hero. Sound familiar? If Lorelai and Rory Gilmore met Anne of Green Gables, I'm positive they'd take the sassy red-haired lass into their java-guzzling, fast-talking fold.
From the public scrutiny Lorelai faces as a single mother to the role of an aging, affluent woman like Emily Gilmore, Gilmore Girls never shied away from exploring how women fit into the context of society's expectations for them. Anne of Green Gables is a similar case study. By all accounts, Marilla Cuthbert — who, along with her brother, takes Anne in — has a stern disposition when we first meet her. As a single, unmarried woman, Marilla feels romanticism and imagination are luxuries she cannot afford. She is expected to be responsible and proper. Anne on the other hand frequently defies expectations of behavior and "becoming of a young lady."
There's something to be said for small towns. They're close-knit, they're quirky and if we're really being honest, they serve as perfect backdrops for a TV series because of how interwoven the characters become. In other words, everyone knows everyone's business. In Anne, the story is set in the rural town of Avonlea in Prince Edward Island, Canada. In Gilmore Girls, Lorelai and Rory call the eccentric (fictional) small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, home.
How many comparisons can we make? Let us count the ways. Anne's BFF-slash-neighbor is Diana Barry. Rory's BFF-slash-fellow-townie is Lane Kim. There is a handsome, smart boy named Gilbert Blythe in Avonlea who teases Anne when he first meets her. There is a handsome, smart boy named Jess who comes to Stars Hollow and teases Rory when he first meets her. In Anne, there is a town busybody named Mrs. Rachel Lynde, who loves to pontificate to others about morals and proper decorum — which, c'mon, obviously sounds like Stars Hollow's town selectman-slash-fussy butt, Taylor Doose. Oh, and we can't forget the classmate Anne has trouble befriending, Josie Pye. In the Gilmore Girls world, her equivalent would be Rory's frenemy, Paris Geller.
5. It's the kind of coming-of-age story we can all relate to
When Anne first comes to Green Gables, she is prone to fanciful and sometimes silly tangents. Don't get me wrong, this is quite charming! But as the years go by, she loses just enough of that flair for the melodramatic to become a very self-aware individual. In some ways, the story of this young orphan girl being raised on a farm is all of us — just like Rory Gilmore trying to navigate life as her mom's BFF and an aspiring journalist. The details may be different, but the big picture (read: young women trying to find their way in the world) is the same.
Like Gilmore Girls, where most of the protagonists are beautifully flawed and refreshingly complex female characters, Anne of Green Gables is carried by the women it is built around... namely Anne and Marilla. And like Gilmore Girls with creator Amy Sherman-Palladino and director/producer Jamie Babbit, Anne of Green Gables will be brought to life by female creatives: award-winning director Niki Caro (Whale Rider, McFarland, USA, The Zookeeper's Wife); award- and Golden Globe-winning writer Moira Walley-Beckett (Breaking Bad, Flesh and Bone); showrunners Miranda de Pencier (Beginners), Alison Owen (Saving Mr. Banks), Debra Hayward (Bridget Jones's Diary); and producer Susan Murdoch (Transporter: The Series).
In a recent interview with GQ Australia, Eastwood opened up, for the first time, he says, about the tragic death of one of his past girlfriends, and how her death in a car accident has stuck with him to this day.
"I dated a girl a couple of years ago who died in a car accident," he explained. "The fucked up thing is, it was a fender bender, and there was a recall on airbags. Her airbag exploded. It shot a projectile through her body. It split her spine, and… I’ve never told anybody that."
Eastwood, whose interview will be in the September/October issue of the magazine, didn't say who the girl was. But he did continue, "I’ve lost friends before; I’ve lost some great friends. But, I had never lost someone I had been really intimate with. Maybe it’s made it harder for me to date."
He added, "It’s easy to fall in love when you’re young, right? And then you start to realize those feelings of love and stuff, passion, love, lust, sometimes they come very quickly, but they can also leave quickly."
Eastwood also explained one of the reasons he's had a hard time putting the crash in the past.
"I still never called her father," he admitted. "I still haven’t found the right words."
Eastwood has been linked to a number of women during his Hollywood career, including Nina Dobrev and Adriana Lima, but none of his relationships have lasted. Us Weekly reports that he is currently single.
Somewhat repulsively, KFC just released an Extra Crispy Fried Chicken-scented sunscreen. Now, after eating greasy fast food chicken, my No. 1 priority is purging the scent from my clothes, hair and home, but apparently I'm alone — KFC gave out 3,000 tubes of the sunscreen in the first two hours of their promotion, and are now sold out.
So, OK, we want to smell like food. But instead of making yourself smell like a combination of old deep-fryer oil and a slightly-singed blend of 11 herbs and spices, why not choose one of these foods?
KFC coleslaw: Honestly, if you had to choose one item from their menu, it should be this. Lightly sweet with undertones of greenery, it'll certainly make you smell a lot fresher than a bucket of chicken.
People of the world, we can do better. The next time you decide to pick up a bottle of sunscreen that, according to reviewers, actually smells like "urine or a baby's diaper" (yum?), just think of the other aromatic possibilities lurking within your refrigerator.
Did you know that some parents take a really hard line on banning sleepovers? Probably, because it looks like I'm the only one that missed the memo, which might explain why — before I realized how out of vogue the tween staple actually is — so many of my kid's friends' moms looked at me like I'd just asked them if they'd like to come over later to help me express my dog's anal glands when I asked them if their child was interested in coming to chill at Chez Edwards sometime.
I would learn later through the magic of Facebook and a slew of blog posts that sleepovers are a huge no-no, something that made my heart sink because they've been such a positive thing in my kid's life so far. And once I started scrolling through the reasons why the banhammer has been so forcefully swung, I felt even worse, because they don't make any sense, and that sucks for kids.
I've heard all kinds of reasons as to why sleepovers are the new parenting no-no; everything from "they turn your kids into crazed sugar monsters who will wreck my house" to "other parents will let my kid watch pornos and smoke cigarettes all night" and the ever popular "everyone is Schrodinger's pedophile." These are all wrong and stupid, and I'm tired of blithely nodding my head and pretending I'm on board with baseless paranoia. Your projections are garbage, and they're making something that should be fun into garbage, too.
To the first, as far as I'm concerned, I've taught my child how to act in people's homes. Anytime I drop her off somewhere, this is the conversation we have:
Me: Whose house is this?
Her: Mrs. Notmymom's house.
Me: So who's the boss?
Her: Mrs. Notmymom is the boss.
She knows that if she decides to wreck up the joint, she has Mrs. Notmymom and whatever consequences Mrs. Notmymom has for little joint wrecker-uppers to contend with, plus my own if I ever find out that she's been acting a cot dang fool. As far as being sugared up, here's an important lesson for kids: eat like crap, feel like crap. You're still getting up at 7:00 a.m. Consider it college prep.
Here's another one for parents that goes straight to concern No.2: You do not need to be so in control of every single sight, sound, smell and taste your child consumes that you become subsumed by the thought that letting them out of your sight for one night will destroy the values that you've instilled in them. If it does, then you've done a bad job instilling them, and that's not a sleepover's fault. If your kid has watched pornography at another adult's house, that isn't questionable judgement, it's sexual abuse, which brings us to that third — and let's face it, oft-cited and legitimately terrifying — concern.
You know that conversation that I have with my kid about rules? Here's the caveat that she knows by heart concerning adults telling kids what to do: If it requires breaking the law or weird sexual shit, she is absolutely exempt from doing it, and she should aim for the crotch when she kicks, because that hurts no matter what equipment you're sporting. That includes hugging, if it gives her a nasty feeling. It includes sex talk. Anything that makes her uncomfortable. She should also scream. And run. I know sexual abuse well, I'm sad to say, and we've been talking about this garbage forever.
But to be frank, I don't worry about it so much that I allow the fear of an unlikely event to keep my child and me locked into our home. If I were going to try to keep my child protected from situations where she is the most likely to be sexually assaulted, she would never hang out with male family members. Any white dude, really, since they're the most likely to do sick freaky crap around her. And there's no way I would let her near a Christian or any religious family, since they make up the largest percentage of pedophiles, full stop.
Hell, if I wanted to make sure she was never harmed, period, I might make sure she's never around a car, since being in or near one is the most likely thing to kill her. She would never swim, go outside, ride her bike or exist anywhere and do any of the things that she loves, because danger is everywhere. Yep, seems like a totally healthy and legit way to raise kids, not to mention super-duper fun!
But I let her do all of those things, because I'm not fucking bonkers, and I will be damned if I allow my kid to lead a life that is inspired and dictated by fear. Childhood today sucks enough anyway, between the standardized tests and dwindling recesses and parents escorting you into Target toilets well into your pubescent years. Banning sleepovers just makes it suck more. So you go ahead and enjoy your enormous, super-fun sounding bubble of restricted inside play where your kid is allowed to watch G-rated movies and eat ice chips, but only after they've been coated in a generous layer of Purell.
I'll just be over here with sparkle toenail polish and a bathtub full of popcorn and a playlist that won't quit. Tonight, my kid and her friends are going to have some fun. You know, fun? That thing that kids are allowed to have sometimes? See ya never, haters!
What's the best part about working on Food Network? Aside from what we can only imagine is a lot of free food, a new People article hints that the chefs also get to pick one another's brains about new recipes. With multiple cookbooks and her own show Beach Bites, not to mention her memorable hosting stint on Top Chef, it's hard to imagine Katie Lee needing tips from anyone. But when she does need help, she goes straight to the top. Lee reveals that she's gotten valuable tips from fellow host Bobby Flay. Jealous?
“I love cooking with Bobby because I learn something from him every time,” Lee told People. “He’s the best at flavor. I call him Flavor Flay.” Yes, we're going to borrow that nickname. According to People, Lee and Flay exchange texts about their favorite recipes.
She asked him for advice for her summer's market paella, and he gave her a very hot tip. "You really have to cook it longer than you would think and really hot,” says Lee.
Since Flay is something of a Food Network titan, she shared that Flay isn't shy about offering up business advice as well as recipes. “Bobby’s always giving me advice for things like that,” she continued. “I feel like I can ask him for business advice too. He’s been at this a long time and obviously had tremendous success, so I look to him for a lot of advice.”
